Ever since BB&W regular, Law Wanxi, wrote to me with an uncomfortable truth, that women are pretty much on their own when it comes to birth control, the more I believe he might be right. That’s why I got excited when the geniuses at the University of Washington have created a dissolving female condom that not only protects women from unwanted pregnancy, but is said to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS.  The process works through electrospinning, which “uses an electric field to catapult a charged fluid jet through air to create very fine, nanometer-scale fibers. The fibers can be manipulated to control the material’s solubility, strength and even geometry. Because of this versatility, fibers may be better at delivering medicine than existing technologies such as gels, tablets or pills. No high temperatures are involved, so the method is suitable for heat-sensitive molecules. The fabric can also incorporate large molecules, such as proteins and antibodies, that are hard to deliver through other methods. One of the fabrics they made dissolves within minutes, potentially offering users immediate, discrete protection against unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.”

The docs are hoping to get the female condoms to women in Africa, where HIV and AIDS still rage rampant. However, critics are wondering it the items will be used when folks are getting hot and heavy.

I say, the more options the better. But not everyone feels that way.  I’m looking at the comments on the original article, and I have to wonder what the cuss all these people are afraid of.